The Deparment of Biology is seeking candidates for a Postdoctoral Scientist.

The Department of Biology seeks for a broadly-trained postdoctoral scientist in areas of Chemical Ecology, Biochemistry, Analytical Chemistry or Plant Genetics. The postdoctoral scientist will work in the research laboratory of Dr. Melkamu Woldemariam as part of a two-year project jointly-funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the US Department of Agriculture/National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA/NIFA). The postdoctoral position is a full-time, 12-months position and provides the candidate mentorship and teaching experience in addition to their role in leading research projects.

Main Responsibilities:

• Designing and conducting scientific experiments outlined in the scientific proposal and analyzing scientific data
• Preparing scientific manuscripts for publication
• Preparing and presenting oral/written pogress reports
• Co-mentoring undergraduate students on their independent research
• Co-teaching some topics on upper-level biology courses      
• Keeping organized records/catalogs of laboratory notebooks, experimental protocols, resources and materials generated from the experiments                    
• communicating the outcome of the experiments, as appropriate, in local, regional, national or international scientific symposia         

Required Qualifications: 

• Demonstrated ability in designing well-controlled and well-replicated scientific experiments. Experience in working with plants and insects is favorable.
• Skill in using mass spectrometric techniques, especially high perfomance liquid chomatography mass spectrometric (HPLC-MS) techniques, and interpreting mass spectrometric data; experience in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) techniques is appreciated. Some familiarity in targeted and untargeted metabolomics analysis is required.
• Experience in extraction and mass spectrometric analysis of small molecules from plant tissues. Strong knowledge of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) principles is needed.
• Knowledge of fundamental statistical data analysis techniques. Candidates with demonstrated multivariate data analysis skills and some bioinformatics experience are preferred.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Training in biochemistry, analytical chemistry, chemical ecology or molecular ecology.
• Familiarity with plant stress responses and stress signaling. Candidates with background in plant genetics (forward and/or reverse genetics) are preferred.
• Training in basic molecular biology (E.g. Polymerase Chain Reaction, Gel Electrophoresis, quantiative Reverse Transcription PCR, Clonning and in vitro expression) and bioinformatics (e.g. sequence alignment and analysis etc) techniques.

About TCNJ

TCNJ is a highly selective institution that has earned national recognition for its commitment to excellence. Founded in 1855, TCNJ has become an exemplar of the best in public higher education and is consistently acknowledged as one of the top comprehensive colleges in the nation. TCNJ currently is ranked as one of the 75 "Most Competitive" schools in the nation by Barron's Profiles of American Colleges and is rated the No. 1 public institution in the northern region of the country by U.S. News & World Report. TCNJ was named the #10 value in public higher education by the Princeton review in 2009 and, in 2006, was awarded a Phi Beta Kappa chapter - an honor shared by less than 10 percent of colleges and universities nationally. A strong liberal arts core forms the foundation for programs offered through TCNJ's seven schools - Arts & Communication; Business; Education; Humanities and Social Sciences; Science; Nursing, Health, and Exercise Science; and Engineering. TCNJ faculty members are teacher-scholars who share a commitment to liberal learning. TCNJ is located within an hour, by train, of New York City and Philadelphia. The College's campus is set on 289 tree-lined acres in suburban Ewing Township and is known for its natural beauty and has 39 major buildings, including the fourth-best college library in the nation, according to the Princeton Review.

Contact Information

Qualified candidates should apply online and submit a letter of interest, resume (CV), as well as the names and contact information for three professional references. Applications will be considered until a viable finalist has been found. Final offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of background and reference checks.

To enrich education through diversity, The College of New Jersey is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The College has a strong commitment to achieving diversity among faculty and staff, and strongly encourages women and members of underrepresented groups to apply.